A broadcaster and environmental activist said he believes young people should have a "leading voice" in shaping the future of their planet at a Climate Conference event in Suffolk.
On Tuesday, July 3, over 250 Suffolk schoolchildren pledged to write to their local MPs about climate change after hearing broadcaster and environmental activist, Chris Packham, speak at the Suffolk Youth Climate Conference at the Suffolk One Sixth Form College in Ipswich.
The event, which was organised by the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership, saw schoolchildren engage in discussions covering the coastal adaptation, plastic pollution, flood and water management, electric vehicles, sustainable fashion and climate anxiety.
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Chris Packham, Springwatch presenter, said: Hope for me lies in the young, so it is critical that we do not just listen to their needs and ideas, but give them an active role in shaping their future, not a token seat at the table - but the leading voice".
"Suffolk has put together a bold coalition of initiatives to address climate breakdown. Wise, because this beautiful and biodiverse county is also a fragile environment which will need to embrace a brave and rapid transition to a lovable future.
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Emma Dixon, Suffolk climate change partnership manager, added: “The Suffolk Youth Climate Conference empowers young people in Suffolk to join us in the fight against climate change.
“All students in attendance will leave with the tools to express their views and concerns about climate change in their area to their local MP.”
Jake Robson, Sixth Form Principal at One Sixth Form College, said: “This was such a stimulating and important event for young people in Suffolk.
"Their generation has undoubtedly inherited a climate challenge, but it was abundantly clear that their presence today signalled they are ready to rise to it, transform attitudes, and bring about change.”
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